Jamie Walker: Bucks Democratic Commissioners hate transparency and accountability
Why is Bucks County’s Board of Commissioners, chaired by Bob Harvie (now a Democratic congressional candidate) fighting so hard to hide emails sent by county bureaucrats’ in 2021? Megan Brock has been fighting to obtain the records to which she already won access in 2022. Fighting the commissioners’ appeal to a trial court decision, she just won her case again in front of the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court. The court upheld two previous rulings that her right-to-know requests had been wrongfully denied by Bucks County. Megan wasn’t just fighting for information — she was fighting for accountability.
Why? Because those emails contained the internal deliberations behind Covid-19 school quarantine guidance that profoundly affected families across the county and, by dint of precedent, state. The emails will prove that an unqualified government employee wrote health guidance for children all over the county. This meritless guidance led to children needlessly being kept out of school for months. The commissioners did it all for their own political careers and never once considered children in their selfish thought process.
Megan began to seek information in August 2021, when she filed open records requests for communications involving the Bucks County Health Department and county leaders. She sought transparency on decisions affecting 80,000 children across this jurisdiction. The Office of Open Records ruled in her favor. Commissioner Bob Harvie and Commissioner Diane Marseglia didn’t want to release the records, so they appealed the decision in county court. Judge Denise Bowman disagreed with the commissioners, ordering the county to release records and pay $3,000 in sanctions. The county immediately appealed again, doubling down on secrecy. The commissioners do not care about the legal expenses because they use taxpayer dollars to fund their frivolous lawsuits against mothers looking for answers.
Fast forward to July 17, 2025. Commonwealth Court Judge Matthew Wolf delivered a sharp rebuke of Bucks County’s actions. His ruling decisively affirmed that the county withheld documents in bad faith, violating the spirit of Pennsylvania’s Right to Know Law. Wolf upheld sanctions and rejected the county’s excuses, noting that partial withholding of records did not absolve officials from their duty to be transparent.
This ruling is significant for multiple reasons.
1) It reaffirms the power of private citizens against the government. Megan, who is thankfully backed by Judicial Watch attorneys (because average citizens do not have the money to fight the government) demonstrated that government overreach can be challenged. As Megan said, “This ruling confirms that Bucks County egregiously targeted my civil rights by wrongfully withholding public records.”
2) It sets a strong legal precedent. The court rulings send a clear message that local governments cannot suppress records about public health policy by simply ignoring requests or improperly relying on exemptions. As Judge Wolf declared, “The trial court’s finding of bad faith is supported by substantial evidence.”
3) It reinforces transparency during times of crisis. Covid not only tested public health systems but also public trust. Both Megan and I knew that the county’s August 23, 2021 health guidance belied the judgment of Bucks’s health director, Dr. David Damsker. We both paid close attention to Covid regulations and their impact on our children. We were then repeatedly lied to, harassed, and sued by the Bucks County Commissioners when we sought answers. When decisions about our children (e.g., mask mandates, quarantines, and school policies) impact children and families, citizens deserve full access to the thought processes behind those decisions. These rulings ensure that that precedent is now firmly in place.
4) It holds local leaders accountable. Bucks County spent taxpayer resources appealing and defending themselve against transparency. This court ruling makes clear that public officials do not reserve the right to bury documents just because they don’t like the topic. Megan’s victory proves that transparency isn’t a luxury; it’s crucial in government. When politicians override medical doctors and implement policies affecting tens of thousands of students, and then lie to the public, Bucks County residents deserve more than a press release. They deserve explanations.
This win isn’t just for Megan. It’s a win for parents, journalists, and all residents who insist their government be transparent. It will hopefully be a reminder of what Democratic politicians did to children to help their own political careers. It’s a reminder that we can only have a democracy when information is shared, not hidden. Unfortunately, Bob Harvie and Diane Ellis-Marseglia are still holding public offices, with Harvie hoping to represent Pennsylvania’s First Congressional District.
Congratulations to my friend Megan. Hopefully she finally gets the documents and the sanction money without Democrats wasting any more taxpayer money appealing this ruling to the State Supreme Court. The commissioners must pay the sanctions from their own pocket. The taxpayers should not have to pay one more penny for their horrific governance.
Jamie Walker is a former teacher and a Central Bucks School District mom of three.
